J O D I E
PRESENT DAY
THE CAMERA SHUTTER clicks. And off to Instagram the picture goes. It's the last Rehearsal Dinner before the wedding tomorrow, and I'm so giddy and excited for Bri and Nick. It's going to be the best Hockey Wedding of the century.
I was going to bring Steven tonight, but I canceled at the last minute. I just felt this weird energy and just didn't want him to tag along with me. I can't be careless about anything right now.
I've been taking my recovery meds. Kimberly came to see me the other day, she knew little of Alex's history, and somehow I just ended up telling her the rest of it. It felt good to tell someone in our circle and it felt good to let it all out.
Catalino told me one thing at the hospital and I've been trying to translate it, to no avail. The look on his face and the smirk on his lips, it couldn't have been anything good. Google translate came up with nothing and I've been trying to write it down. I can't even pronounce it so well and I don't want to alarm anyone, Alex included.
My doorbell rings. I'm expecting Kim, but when I get the door, I don't see Kim. I see Isabella?
"I didn't shoot you." Are the first words she lets out.
"What are you doing here?" Are the next words that come from me after a deep long breath.
"I'm here to deliver a present in exchange for something." She holds up a brown envelope. I raise a brow in question and she responds. "The divorce papers, I signed them."
"Look if you're trying to make a fool out of me, I suggest you walk away quietly." I fold my arms. I'm tired of all these visits leading to so many fucked up questions.
"I'm coming from Alexander's." She states and a knife twists in my chest.
"Why didn't you give him the divorce papers then?" I ask.
"I signed them on my way here."
"Okay, so what do you need from me?"
"The tape I gave you, it's not just a violation of Alexander's privacy but mine as well." She replies shakingly.
"And yet you gave it to me?"
"I didn't know what was on it I swear, I was told to do so and I did."
"Told to do so, by whom?" My heart beats with every word.
"I can't say, I'll die." She hands me the divorce papers. Torn between what is and what is not, I collect them. Then I retreat into my room, getting the video tape and handing it to her. She collects it with shaking hands, and a thank you.
Weird.
"And I'm guessing they told you to come collect it back?" I fold my arms.
"No, I'm doing this for me." She pauses. "And Alex." She turns on her heel to leave.
"Isabella, for what it's worth, you're way too gorgeous to be anyone's puppet." I pause. "And I honestly hope I'm not making a mistake by giving you that." I say and she pauses,
"Thank you, Miss Henning." And with that she walks away.
Minutes later, Kim arrives with a weird look on her face. "What was she doing here?" Is the first thing she asks.
I tell her everything, again. From the divorce papers, to the sex tape, to the part where we don't know who's responsible for the shooting to the part where I don't think Isabella is guilty. Seeing her face when she came here and her admittance, did she truly not know what was on the tape? Or is it all an act? And if it isn't, who gave her the tape to give me?
I banish my confused thoughts as Kim and I exit my apartment and head to the elevator. From which we head to her car and to the rehearsal dinner at the main wedding venue this time around. Brittany and Nick are getting married at one of the Stone's family lake houses. Nick's family is big on owning so many properties and so Bri chose this one.
Ava Stones. Nick's mother and an Anesthesiologist at one of Seattle's biggest hospitals approaches us.
"Are you kidding?" Kim laughs.
"My best friend is getting married of course I'm excited." I smile and she dabs her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Come on now Ava, save the tears for tomorrow." Kim smiles and I nod.
"Alright, I'll save them for tomorrow, see you inside?" She asks and we nod.
"Of course, Doctor Ava." Kim smiles.
Behind us Terence approaches. But something's wrong, he doesn't look his usual happy self and he begins to sign. I've been best friends with T for a long time. I know that he doesn't like to speak without his hearing aid. Said he doesn't like speaking without hearing himself. I rush to him and I take his hands in mine, urging him to calm down as Kim follows behind me.
Alex's car chooses now to approach the scene, and the moment he parks, Ivy freaking Martins jumps right out of the passenger door and rushes towards us.
Ignoring the rest of us, She approaches Terence whose expression is a mix of excitement and sheer shock as he leans down and she inserts his hearing aid in his left ear. He smiles more and she chooses now to roll her eyes, now he laughs.
"Now don't take it personal." She folds her arms, her earlier determination and worry replaced with her fierceness. "I saw this in the gym this evening and I thought, how's the best man gonna survive tonight?" Terence laughs more and Alex approaches us. Even in bad times he still chooses to look sexy as hell. Too sexy for his own good. But the lines under his eyes and the strain in his neck say otherwise.
"So you were worried about me?" He folds his arms, a cocky smile on his face as he raises a brow at her.
"Try not to get used to it." She replies and Alex and I share a long look.
I want to do one of three things. I want to hug him and spend the night in his arms and beautiful cologne. But I also need a moment. I almost died. The near death feeling is one I don't wish for any of my loved ones. It's scary, terrifying, all forms of wrong. I know I said I'll fight by his side, but what if I'm not strong enough, what if we don't survive. Catalino's statement still haunts me and I don't know what to make of it.
"Hey Jodie." I hear a voice behind me and I turn to see Tyler, Bri's brother, all grown up. Damn he's gonna break so many hearts. "How you doing? How you feeling?"
Um?
He notices my obvious confusion and he pulls me to a corner. Then he swallows a bit.
"I was at the hospital with a friend when you were there for a surgery, Jodie, how are you doing?"
Oh god, oh no.
"Relax, I didn't tell Bri or anyone, you're like a big sister to me even though we don't talk a lot but I just wanna know how you doing." He says.
"I'm fine." I force a smile despite my sudden anxiety. "Slow recovery, but I promise I'm doing great."
"I won't tell, okay, you're a great best friend to my sister and at first when Alex told me I was a bit on the fence and then I see you haven't told Bri yourself so I joined the dots." He sighs. Alex told him?
"Right, Tyler, I'm doing okay." I say, finally noticing how tall he is in spite of my heels. "I really miss when you were short." I snort and he lets out a laugh.
"See, that's why I miss you." He pulls me into a hug and I lean right in for it. I see Alex watching with a small smile. The first of this evening. It warms my heart. It makes me smile too.
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BRI PULLS ME into a hug the moment she sees me. She gets fussy about not hearing from me and she presses my injury a lot with the hugs. I don't cry though. I miss hugging her. I wish I could tell her everything that was happening, changing, but I can't. I don't want to spoil her special day. Bri is a passionate lover, mostly to me ever since we met in our freshman year of college. She spends most of her time texting and checking on me more than she does for herself. She deserves to have these moments without worrying about me. She deserves this love. The kind that warms, flourishes and protects with all compassion.
Nick hugs me too, crushing my wound with his weight. I wince silently and I catch Alex's gaze across the hall, focused on me, with his jaw tight and his hands constantly going in and out of his pockets. More hugs from my friends and more injury crushing. Yvonne – Aaron's Cousin, Justin – Nick's younger brother, Coach Mike, who hugs me a little because he knows what pain I'm in and he respects my decision, Hudson – who feels super sad and in between places because he opened up to Kim about what happened, Terence again, Diane – Liz's best friend and Yvonne's Girlfriend, Aaron, Liz, Little Junior, Jake Stones – Nick's Dad, Mrs Kelly – who squeezes me a lot until Coach Mike handles the situation. I love all of them, I love seeing them happy, so there's no way I'm telling. I know that this is life and they'd eventually find out, but not tonight, and definitely not tomorrow.
Ivy watches the gathering intensely. She'll get used to it. We love hugs in this house. Everyone of us. I see Liz approaching Alex with a small smile and I see them hug, something about Liz's father making an ambush— that I heard from Kim. We're all happy. All good.
Rehearsal begins. The walk down the aisle starts from Ava and Jake stones, to Diane and Yvonne, to Coach Mike and Mrs Kelly, to Aaron and Liz, Hudson and Kim, right before it gets to Alex and Ivy, Terence and I and then….. Nick's standing at the altar where Bri walks in with her Father and Brother— yes Tyler wanted to walk his sister down the aisle too. It goes well. The wedding planner is anxious and excited about tomorrow. The cakes are set, everything is perfect. Nick and Bri deserve a hell of a perfect wedding.
We all head outside with our drinks, where Bri, Tyler and their Dad, light Japanese candles for their late Mom and Wife and Bri's twin sister, Rose. She cries too. I stand by her side, watching the candles go up, and we hug and cry together. Everyone stays silent, giving Bri this chance. Nick squeezes her hand in his, pulling her into a hug as we all watch the candles go up.
We head back inside the lake house for the final dances, where Alex takes my hand in his and wraps his other hand around my waist. My breath is almost lost but I get it together, resting my head on his chest as we dance slowly. He finally speaks up.
"Do you think you can ever forgive me?" He asks and I release my head from his chest.
"I was never mad at you, ever." I whisper and his arm around my waist brings me closer and closer to him till my breasts and the lower area of his chest are touching. I continue, "Isabella came by my apartment this evening." His brows furrow. "She gave me the divorce papers, she's signed them." I say and our gazes dance against each other.
"And what do you make of that?" He asks.
"She seems shaky, no longer mouthy like she used to be, if anything, she seems scared." I sigh. "What do you think?" I ask.
"I think we should both call it a night." He sighs, planting a kiss on my forehead and leaning backwards to stare at me.
"And save this dance for the wedding?" I ask and he leans closer till our lips are almost touching.
"Yes, baby."
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A/N
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